Prolonged, unbridled stress is terrible for your health and feels awful. We all want to change that anxious, on-edge, teeth-clenching feeling that saps our energy, steals our smiles and hijacks our serenity.
Reaching for the quick fixes, such as alcohol, might tame your hassles momentarily but you can pay a flagrant price (raging addiction) for that instant gratification. A longer-term, sustainable solution is what you need to rely on to keep stress at a healthy distance.
You know what’s coming, don’t you? Yes, it’s meditation.
An easy, accessible form of relaxation and stress management
By now, you’ve likely heard that meditation is something you should probably do because it’s good for you. Many studies have pointed toward the benefits of meditation that mental health professionals and long-time meditators already know: it helps you feel more calm and focused. There’s also evidence that links the practice of meditation with the improved management of everything from asthma and chronic pain to high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome and insomnia.
But I can’t meditate
Are you sitting comfortably? Can you feel how your shoes fit your feet, how the material of your clothes feels against your skin? Do you feel the breath thread gently through your nose, weave down the back of your throat and flood into your chest? Breathe out slowly and notice how your shoulders drop down.
You say you can’t meditate? You just did.
One size fits one
There are as many different forms of meditation as there are people. Some folks like to sit in the lotus position on a yoga mat with incense, while others reach a state of silence in their minds by moving and working in nature. Even the most mundane activities can become a meditation if we choose. Doing the dishes or vacuuming can take on a whole new meaning if you are mindful of what you’re doing, which all helps your mind find its way back to a calm place.
Many different situations and activities have the possibility of taking you to a place of calm but the quickest and most efficient way of getting you there is by deep breathing from your diaphragm.
Breathe in from your belly – it should stick out when you breathe in – and control your exhale so it’s longer and slower than your inhale. When you breathe out, imagine your belly reaching back toward your spine. Sometimes it helps to keep your hand on your abdomen to be aware of where your breath is. Keep doing this time every time you remember – maybe when you’re pausing at work or when you’re putting the kettle on. It will take time but it will become more natural the more you practice.
So whether you’re practicing yoga, walking around your neighbourhood or just contemplating spring cleaning your home, meditation and a peaceful moment is only one breath away.
Here are our top picks for further reading about the benefits of meditation:
Mrs D Is Going Within – How a Frantic, Sugar-bingeing, Internet-loving, Recovering-alcoholic Housewife Found her Zen, Allen and Unwin
Proper Breathing Brings Better Health, Scientific American
One Breath at a Time: How Meditation in Recovery Can Help, California Highlands Addiction Centre
Breathe Yourself Calm, Dr Libby Weaver